


Make You Feel

by elfsbe



Category: Yandere Simulator (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-04-08 03:58:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14096721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elfsbe/pseuds/elfsbe
Summary: Ayano Aishi is in love with Taro Yamada. She would do anything––absolutelyanything––to earn her senpai's love and devotion. Even if that means sabotaging any girl that dares look at him or, as the elusive Info-chan suggests,killingthem. She might even join the Martial Arts Club just to get close to senpai's best friend who happens to lead the club. She's never been opposed to using people to accomplish things before––why should this be any different?





	1. Chapter 1

Ayano awoke with a start, dark eyes wide and body slick with sweat as her bottom lip trembled.

Swallowing gulps of air, she found herself peering down at her shaking hands. A gentle scoff accompanied a sigh of relief as she found her pale palms completely free and clean of the red substance that had covered them in her dream.

 _Nightmare,_ Ayano corrected disdainfully as she dropped her hands back into her lap. The downside of having feelings was being subjected to fear. For a large portion of her life, the concept of a nightmare seemed like an old wives’ tale––a mere myth. But now that she was discovering joy, anger, _love_ …she was starting to realize that she seriously took her previous lack of fear for granted.

It was such a nuisance.

Ayano slid her legs off of the bed with a sigh as she looked at the alarm clock standing guard on her bedside table, dutifully watching over where her sleeping figure should be this early in the morning. _5:03 am_. She didn’t need to be awake for another hour. The schoolgirl grumbled as she hoisted herself up onto her feet. _How inconvenient._

She wandered over to her desk where her phone rested, connected to its charger. Disconnecting the device, Ayano found herself blinded by the light of its screen. She closed one eye, straining to view the screen.

“ **2 Text Messages from Mom** ”

Ayano swiped her finger against the notification, unlocking the phone by tapping in her passcode. She was met by a long paragraph and a picture of her parents posing in front of the Statue of Liberty. Her mother, as always, was brimming with joy, long dark hair spilling over her elegant shoulders, while her father gave a polite smile to the camera, dark grey eyes which reflected her own devoid of any genuine contentedness. Ayano skimmed the paragraph before exiting into her inbox which was unsurprisingly scarce of many conversations. Most of the chains were with classmates asking for her lecture notes or a reminder of when the homework was due.

Her eyes scanned through the names in her inbox dispassionately. There were very few people she actually kept frequent contact with. _Friends_ , as they liked to call themselves though, admittedly, Ayano saw them as ways to keep herself from appearing unordinary.

One of her recent contacts was Midori Gurin who she’d been acquainted with since middle school––the one who initially taught her basic emotions. Although not very well-liked by many as considered one of the most irritating people in the entire school, Ayano held a fondness for her––not that she would go as far as to say she cared about the girl. Being able to claim she had a long-time best friend was extremely convenient.

The next conversation was a group chat with Saki Miyu and Kokona Haruka––both easy to manipulate and fairly liked by the school’s population. They gave interests for her to adopt as well as a cover whenever she had business in town. Ayano was also a big fan of cookies and the two baked lots and lots of cookies while gossiping with her about the other students. It was always nice to take a break from… _following_ others to collect information. They weren’t unpleasant to be around either but she much rather have been left to her own devices than to be spending nights in Saki’s room giggling over celebrity magazines.

Ayano had many group chats, in fact, which she preferred over individual conversations. It was much less exhausting as she didn’t need to participate as much––she could get by with an emoji or silly meme to keep up her reputation as a kind, carefree girl. Her class group chat, study group, Martial Arts Club…

Her eyes lingered on _that_ one in particular before floating over to the conversation she’d been avoiding. The name rested above Midori’s and filled Ayano with warm confusion. _Budo Masuta._ Without thinking about it, she clicked on the name which opened up their private conversation. He’d sent her a silly cat video to which she responded with a laughing emoji before she’d fallen asleep.

Ayano found herself typing a message to him and hit send before she even realized what she was doing. _Why did I just do that?_

“ **I had another nightmare…** ”

It wasn’t long before she received a reply. She knew he’d be awake––he jogged every morning at 5:15 on the dot religiously. Budo-senpai missing his early morning run was unheard of. Pigs would _fly_ before that ever happened.

“ **Oh great, what was it about this time?**

 **Not clowns, right? God, I hate clowns.** ”

Ayano rolled her eyes before replying.

“ **No, ya dingus.**

 **Clowns are a stupid fear, you**  
**know? It’s kind of ridiculous**  
**that the strongest guy at school**  
**is afraid of clowns.** ”

“ **Hey! Just because I’m the Martial Arts**  
**Club Leader doesn’t mean I’m not inclined**  
**to stupid phobias! Clowns are creepy and**  
**loads of people are afraid of them…** ” 

“ **Inclined? Phobia?**

 **Wow, those are $5 words I**  
**never thought a dingus like**  
**you would know.**

 **Did you buy a dictionary?** ”

“ **Why are you so mean to**  
**me, Yan-chan? ;__;** ”

“ **You gotta be knocked down  
** **a peg or two sometimes**  
**and, if I don’t do it, who**  
**will?** ”

“ **;_______;** ”

“ **Shouldn’t you be jogging**  
**by now? It’s 5:21…** ”

“ **Crap! Ttyl, Yan-chan!** ”

“ **Yeah, whatever.** ”  


The dark-haired girl chuckled, locking her phone and placing it back on the desk in front of her. _What an idiot,_ she thought with a strange warmth spreading throughout her chest which has been happening with increased frequency as of late whenever dealing with Budo-senpai. This warmth filled her with great unease that was not so simply quelled. At least, not until she looked upon the delicate face of her senpai.

Ayano lifted her eyes to the cork board which hung on the wall before her, printed photos of her beautiful senpai thumbtacked against the rough material. His soft dark hair that caused her fingers to ache as they longed to run through each lock; the kind eyes which seemed to regard everything they gazed upon with an unrivaled delicacy. Oh, how she _longed_ to hold his hands and kiss his pale cheeks.

Her heart pounded violently against her ribcage as she admired his elegant visage. She could stare at these photos she’d taken of him for hours but, alas, they would never compare to the real thing. Ayano longed to bathe in his scent––to let his presence penetrate her tough flesh and enter her bloodstream so she could become one with him.

With a gentle hand, Ayano touched a closeup shot of her senpai. “Soon, my love,” she swore. “We will be together soon. I promise.”

 

* * *

  

Ayano approached the school gates, her eyes scanning the crowd of students chatting amongst themselves. “Yan-chan!” She heard a familiar voice call. Plastering a smile onto her face as she did every morning, Ayano approached the green-haired girl who stood on her toes waving her arm over her head with a large grin and phone in hand. “I thought you were going to be late again. I was about to call you!”

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” she responded. “Did you do your biology report?”

Midori’s face fell. “Oh, no! I knew I was forgetting something!”

“Mi-chan,” Ayano giggled, shuffling through her bag to grab the report that she’d written up preemptively for her friend over the weekend, knowing damn well the dunce was going to forget the assignment again after she’d reminded her to get it done… _twice_.

The ditzy girl’s eyes grew wide before she threw her arms around Ayano’s shoulders, forcing the latter to smile awkwardly. “Thank you, Ayano!” she cried with a wide smile, snatching the report from her. “What would I do without you?!”

 _I ask myself the same thing everyday._ Ayano shrugged and allowed her friend to grab her hand, guiding her through the school gates. This gave her the opportunity to continue scanning the crowd until her eyes finally landed upon the dark locks of her beloved. As usual, he joined his group of friends for a brief greeting before walking in together to their respective lockers.

Midori was chatting her head off about some new video game she started playing last night as the two changed into their white slippers and put their shoes away. However, Ayano was preoccupied with admiring her senpai as he shuffled from his locker, his new book in hand towards the courtyard where, like everyday, he would sit and read before classes started.

He was surrounded by his friends as they discussed what they’d done over the weekend. Senpai, like most days, was the quiet one of the group but laughed frequently and responded when directly spoken to. They were quite invested in their conversation this morning. However, soon their attention was caught by a figure rapidly approaching them. Right on time.

There he was, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath; white headband secured around his forehead while his dark hair stuck out in different directions. An apologetic smile played on his lips as he greeted his friends, towering over the majority of them when he finally straightened himself out. Rubbing the back of his head, the others caught Budo-senpai up on what he missed over the weekend, likely asking what he did himself as he began chatting away. The boys all laughed with the grinning boy.

It was like clockwork.

Suddenly, her attention was caught by a hand waving in front of her face. “Helloooooo,” Midori sang. “Earth to Yan-chan?”

“Oh, sorry!” Ayano gave a gentle smile, her eyes closing demurely. “I was just spacing out again. You were saying, Mi-chan?”

But Midori didn’t continue with her ramblings. Instead, she waggled her brows at Ayano and nudged her arm. “No, no, don’t let me distract you from daydreaming,” she giggled mischievously. “Masuta-kun looks especially handsome today!”

Ayano huffed, visibly annoyed. “Midori, how many times do I have to tell you that I have no interest in Masuta-kun?” She folded her arms over her chest, trying to suppress the hot rage that rumbled within her gut. _Nobody will ever compare to my senpai,_ she determined. _Especially not some gangly, messy giraffe._

“Don’t you mean 'Budo-senpai'?” she giggled again, causing Ayano to blush.

Stammering, Ayano’s hands balled up into tiny fists. “T-that was one time!”

“Mhm,” Midori chimed, turning on her heel and heading toward the courtyard with a wave. “Whatever you say, Yan-chan!”

Ayano breathed deeply through her nostrils, trying to prevent herself from snapping. She didn’t want to cause a scene nor lose her ‘best friend’. She turned to gaze upon the group of friends again but, this time, her eyes lingered on the tall frame of her club leader rather than magnetizing to her senpai. Her cheeks began to feel warm as she recalled her conversation with Midori.

There was the other inconvenience of finally feeling emotions: _embarrassment_.


	2. Chapter 2

_one week later_

 

Senpai was late today.

Ayano found herself worrying her lower lip as she continued to shoot glances beyond the school gates, tapping her foot anxiously. Had something happened to him over the weekend? Did he catch that flu going around? If he was sick, who would take care of him? Should she bring him soup? She knew where he lived––she could easily leave a care package on his doorstep. _Thank goodness Midori is out for the week,_ she thought. _Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to wait here this long to see if my senpai will arrive. Oh, I hope he does! I miss him so much…_

A hand suddenly found its way onto Ayano’s shoulder, disrupting her thoughts and causing her to instinctually elbow whoever was behind her firmly in the gut. She heard a loud groan as the hand fell away from her shoulder. “Geez, Aishi-san! What’s got you so worked up?”

“You shouldn’t sneak up on me like that, Masuta-kun,” Ayano warned without sparing him a single glance. “I could kill you.” Her eyes remained fixed on the school gates, unconcerned with anything else other than her senpai.

Luckily, Budo-senpai didn’t seem to mind the more crass parts of her personality. He chuckled, catching his breath. “I’d like to see you try.” Ayano felt him take a step forward so they were shoulder-to-shoulder––well, more like head-to-shoulder due to the boy’s incredible height. “Are you waiting for Gurin-san to arrive?”

The dark haired girl shook her head, her hair brushing against the back of her neck with the motion. “No,” she replied plainly. “Midori is out for the week. She caught the flu over the weekend.” She shook her head. “Probably caught the bug from the arcade. Those boys never wash their hands.”

“Hey!” he protested. “I go to the arcade all the time and _I_ wash my hands!”

Ayano gave him a sarcastic grin. “Wow. Amazing. I should get Kokona and Saki to bake you some cookies to congratulate you on washing your hands.”

“You’re too mean, Yan-chan.” Budo-senpai pouted.

“What are you going to do? Cry about it?”

“No, but I’ll totally kick your ass at today’s practice.”

“I’d like to see you try.” Ayano felt the older boy lightly shove her with his fist which made her tear her gaze away from the school gates to grin up at him. 

Suddenly, as the two locked eyes, the anxiety in her chest dissipated and was replaced by a rapid and heavy heartbeat. Budo-senpai looked down at her with those gentle, warm eyes she’d grown so accustomed to. Nobody else ever looked at her so softly. She felt her cheeks grow warm as she watched his own turn slightly pink in response.

Ayano knew she should have looked away from him––she should have returned her gaze to the school gates and anticipate Senpai’s late arrival. But, for some reason, she found herself completely entranced. There was something about Budo’s dark eyes that drew her in––something she felt was dangerous and almost blasphemous but she never could quite put her finger on it.

If not for the two figures she saw approaching them from her peripheral, Ayano felt she would have drowned in the grey pools of Budo’s eyes––lost to the rest of the world. Her eyes wandered towards the shrill voice she heard that accompanied one of the two figures. “Ugh! You can be such a pain, Senpai!”

The other figure responded bashfully, his sweet voice reaching Ayano’s ears and erasing Budo’s presence beside her completely, “I’m sorry.”

However, as Ayano looked over to her beloved, she felt her blood boil. The girl beside him stomped forward, hands on her hips disapprovingly. “I can’t believe you overslept _again_! It’s just like back in middle school!”

“I’m sorry,” he apologized once more.

“I’m not your personal alarm clock, you know! You can’t rely on me to wake you up everyday!”

“I’m sorry…” he repeated for a third time. “If it bothers you so much, maybe we shouldn’t walk to school together anymore.”

Ayano watched as the girl suddenly halted in place, her eyes wide with regret. Grabbing Senpai’s arm, she began to stutter over her words. “N-no…that…that’s not what I…” Her voice trailed off as Senpai turned to look at her, a single brow cocked in confusion. “Just forget it, okay?!”

The dark haired girl couldn’t believe what she was seeing. How _dare_ this filthy, ungrateful girl lay a single finger on her glorious senpai? She didn’t even _deserve_ the attention he was giving to her now. Ayano observed Senpai’s _companion_ carefully. Long orange hair tied into two pigtails and polka dot knee-highs? _Wait, this girl is in my class,_ she recalled. _Damnit, what was her name again?_

“ _Anyway_ ,” she drawled with a roll of her eyes. “I want you to meet me on the school rooftop at lunchtime.” Her eyes, at first, were soft–– _pleading._ But soon they turned into daggers which she aimed at Senpai. “Got it?” she said forcefully.

Senpai looked genuinely confused at his _companion’s_ sudden mood swing. “Huh? Why?”

The girl grumbled, her hands balling into fists. “Stop being so difficult!” she demanded with the stomp of a foot. “Just be there, alright?” She began to walk away before stopping abruptly to look back at him, hands on her hips. “And don’t keep me waiting!” 

“Okay, okay,” Senpai said with a nod, a small smile playing on his lips. “I’ll be there.” 

The girl smiled. “Good!” Then, she stomped off into the school, leaving Ayano’s dear senpai behind in total wonder.

“Uh, Aishi-san?” she heard Budo utter beside her. “You okay?”

Ayano hadn’t even noticed that her fists had balled up so tight that her knuckles were white. She bit down on the inside of her cheek to quell the red hot rage growing within her, the taste of iron dancing along her tongue. “Mhm,” she responded unconvincingly with a forced grin. “Perfectly fine.” _Who is that girl?_  

She had never seen her with Senpai before today. Had she not been attentive enough? From the way the orange haired _bitch_ had spoken to her senpai, it sounded like this was a frequent thing they did. Ayano felt like beating herself up––she’d gotten too distracted! How could she have missed this girl growing close to her beloved? _I need to know more,_ she determined. _Nobody will take Senpai away from me._ ** _Nobody_** _._

Ayano felt as if she was about to explode. Her eyes darkened as she felt herself slightly twitch––the demon within clawing its way to the surface. If Budo had not put his hand on her shoulder, she surely would have bit her own tongue off. “Ayano,” the boy said as he lightly turned her to face him. “You’re bleeding.”

The dark haired girl snapped back to reality as she glanced up at Budo-senpai’s concerned gaze. She lifted a hand to her mouth before pulling it away to find dark red liquid spilling down her fingers. “Oh,” she responded nonchalantly. “I didn’t even notice.”

“Come on,” the older boy urged as he grabbed her hand to lead her into the school. “Let’s get you to the nurse.”

Ayano allowed him to do so as she looked back at her beloved, her eyes following his every move. He, too, shuffled into the building, eyes wandering off into the distance as if completely lost in thought. _I have to find out more information on this girl_. She wanted nothing more than to pull her hand out of Budo-senpai’s grip but, knowing his personality, he would refuse to let her go without her visiting the nurse. _Stupid boy,_ she thought, turning her eyes away from Senpai to glare at Budo’s back. _Always getting in the way._ It was in his nature, Ayano believed, to be caring and overly friendly. _You really shouldn’t fuss over me._ She couldn’t understand his constant concern for those around him. Sometimes it annoyed her––other times, she really couldn’t care less as it was just another convenience to her.

That’s all he was––a convenience. 

At least, that’s what she told herself whenever she found herself texting him for hours over the weekend or chatting with him when they ate together at lunch. Just a means to learn more about Senpai––just a means to get closer to her beloved. Sure, he was handsome and compassionate with a great sense of humor; though he had subpar grades in all of his classes––aside from physical education, of course––he was passionate about helping people and emotionally intelligent. Ayano knew many girls in the school admired him and believed he could snag a girlfriend in a heartbeat if only he had an interest in anyone. With his dark, messy hair and gentle eyes the color of a storm cloud; his broad shoulders, incredible height, strong arms which she had seen grapple with many different opponents as he sparred during practice…

Ayano shook her head clear of these thoughts, replacing his figure with that of her darling senpai. Nobody would ever compare to him. No matter how handsome or courageous they might be. _Senpai has no equal,_ she reminded herself. _He is_ ** _everything_** _to me._

However, Budo-senpai’s hand, warm in her own, managed to fuel her fantasies. 

 

* * *

 

“It seems to me, Miss Aishi,” Nurse Kankoshi said as she held the school girl’s mouth open with a wooden tongue depressor. “You bit down on the inside of your cheek rather hard. _Again_.” Ayano felt like rolling her eyes but knew better than to sass the nurse. Instead, she glared at Budo-senpai who leaned against the nurse’s desk, arms folded over his chest with a smug grin gracing his face. “Must I contact your parents? I’ve already told them to take you to see someone about that anxiety of yours.” 

Ayano wiggled her jaw as Nurse Kankoshi pulled the tongue depressor from her mouth. “No, there’s no need,” she replied, accepting the cup of water that the nurse offered to her. “I’m already seeing a therapist every week for EMDR sessions.” Ayano sipped the water, peering past the nurse at Budo-senpai who seemed very interested in the tools scattered about the desk he was leaning on. “Anxiety doesn’t go away over night, you know?”

These were all lies, of course––Ayano hadn’t seen a therapist since she was a young girl. But it kept the ever attentive Nurse Kankoshi off of her back. The school girl had been extremely thorough in her research when figuring out ways to convince the nurse that what she claimed was true. She didn’t need anyone poking and prodding at her newly acquired emotions nor did she need anyone to find about her _condition_. 

It would be…inconvenient. 

The nurse lifted a brow at Ayano as if ready to scold the young girl. However, she instead slipped off her gloves and nodded her head. “Alright, if you say so,” she mumbled. “I do think you should mention to your therapist that you need to be taught better methods at controlling your anxiety. Frankly, I’m tired of you coming in here with bloody palms and scratches to treat.” She looked back at Budo before leaning in closer to Ayano and lowering her voice. “It’s a good thing you have such an attentive boyfriend.” 

Ayano felt her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment. “H-he’s not my…” she stuttered under her breath so the older boy wouldn’t overhear. “He’s not my boyfriend!”

“Right,” the nurse drawled with a smirk. “That’s why he’s always here with you when you come see me.” Before Ayano could say anything, Nurse Kankoshi backed away abruptly. “Mister Masuta, please put that syringe down before you hurt yourself!”

Budo-senpai immediately dropped the syringe, giving the nurse a bashful look when it clattered and crashed into the other tools. “Whoops, sorry.”

The nurse rolled her eyes as she slid herself away from Ayano in her rolling chair. “Alright, you’re both free to go. Class starts in six minutes so you better get a move on.” Budo-senpai pushed himself off of the desk just as Ayano got up onto her feet, the two moving towards the door together. “Oh and please make sure to wash your hands before eating lunch. There’s a flu going around, you know?”

Ayano gave Budo a playful smirk––in return, he shoved her lightly with his fist once again as he returned the friendly smile. “Don’t worry, Miss Kankoshi. I _always_ wash my hands.”

The two students exited the infirmary, the nurse scoffing to herself. “Not dating, huh?” she murmured. “That’ll change soon.”

As soon as they turned the corner down the hallway, Budo placed his hand on Ayano’s bicep, halting her in place. The younger girl looked up at him, lifting a single brow. “What are you––”

“When are you actually going to start going to therapy, Ayano?” Budo interrupted, giving her a concerned look. “I don’t have any experience with it myself but––based on the scars on your palms––it’s really not something to take lightly.”

Ayano glared up at Budo, her mouth settling into a firm line. “Mind your own business, Budo,” she demanded coldly, yanking her arm out of his grip. “You’re not my caretaker––and you’re certainly not my…” She trailed off, somehow physically unable to finish the sentence. Ayano shook her head, breaking their gaze. “So stop acting like it. I have to get to class now. I’ll see you later.”

With that, Ayano stormed off, leaving Budo behind without so much as a glance.

 

* * *

 

Ayano could barely concentrate in class throughout the day. She found her eyes completely focused on her orange haired classmate as she twiddled her pencil between her fingers. Her mind was racing as she recalled what happened that morning and, the more she replayed the scene in her head, the angrier she got. At one point, the teacher called upon the girl to complete a problem on the whiteboard. Osana was her name and just watching her saunter up to the front of the class, addressing the teacher with that shrill, irritating voice of hers made Ayano so… _snap!_

“Oh! Yan-chan,” she heard a familiar voice gasp. “You’re bleeding!” The dark haired girl looked down at the pencil in her hand. Sure enough, the pencil had split in half, pieces of wood piercing the skin on her palms. Ayano watched as the blood leaked down her wrist.

 _Oh, great._ She sighed heavily, knowing that Mina Rai––a fellow member of the Martial Arts Club––was going to alert their teacher.

“Miss Fuka!” Mina cried, stretching her arm up high in the air. “Aishi-san is bleeding!” Soon, Ayano was being ushered out of the classroom and sent down to the infirmary. Miss Kankoshi was not going to be happy seeing her again so soon. 

However, the nurse’s annoyance was the least of her worries.

Ayano felt her phone buzz in her skirt’s pocket. _As expected._ She stopped briefly, using her uninjured hand to grab her phone and view the text she’d just received. _Not even gone for two minutes and Mina is already reporting to her sensei about me._

 

“ **I can’t leave you alone  
****for even half an hour, can  
****I?**

 **You need to be more  
****careful.** ”

 

“ **Relax, Masuta-kun. I’m  
****perfectly fine.**  

 **Worry about yourself  
****for a change.** ”

 

Ayano continued walking down the hall, phone in hand. Admittedly, it was a bit difficult to walk while typing with one hand and Budo-senpai was notorious for being quite chatty––especially over text.

 

“ **I’m not the one heading  
****to the infirmary for the  
****second time today now,  
****am I?  
**

**You’re one of my club  
****members and it’s my  
****job to ensure that  
****every member in the  
****club is in tiptop shape!**  

 **You’re also one of my  
** **closest friends…**

  **So I’m sorry that I worry!** ”

 

She peered down at the screen, taking a deep breath as her steps came to another halt. Ayano wasn’t even sure what to respond to that and closed her eyes to refocus herself. Too much was going on right now––her brain was already complete mush and she didn’t need Budo-senpai adding to the confusion further.

Just as Ayano was about to respond, the older boy sent her another text.

 

“ **Do you want me to meet  
****you at the infirmary?**

 **I can get out of class,  
****no sweat.** ”

 

“ **No.** ”

 

Initially, Ayano was going to leave the message at that as she really had no desire to continue this conversation with club leader. She just wanted to get her hand bandaged, return to class, and continue to observe Osana before following her up to the rooftop to see what business she had with Senpai. _My beloved is the priority,_ she reminded herself. _Especially with that she-devil in the picture._

However, the dark haired girl felt a slight pang of…guilt?

 

“ **Really, I’m fine.**  

 **You should be paying  
****attention in class right  
****now. If you fail that math  
****test again, you’ll have to  
****take those extra classes,  
****remember?** ”

 

 

“ **I know you’re right but**

 **Nah, forget it. Just get  
****get patched up, okay?** ”

 

Ayano began to put her phone away but it buzzed again, eliciting a groan from the girl still stopped out in the middle of the hallway. “What now?” She unlocked her phone once more to view the new message.

 

“ **Do you want to eat  
****lunch with me today?** ”

 

As she furrowed her brows in confusion, Ayano typed in her response.

 

“ **Like we do everyday? In  
****the practice room?** ”

 

“ **No, I mean, do you  
****want to eat lunch with  
****just me today?**  

**On the rooftop.**

**Without everyone else.** ”

 

In that moment, the dark haired girl recalled the meeting arranged between Osana and Senpai. She was already intending to go to the rooftop during lunchtime to see what they were up to. With Budo-senpai’s company, it gave her the perfect excuse to up there and eavesdrop rather than risk being caught watching on her own. The implications of being completely alone with Budo upon his request didn’t really occur to Ayano––only the absolute convenience of it crossed her mind.

 

“ **I’ll meet you there.** ”

 

Finally, Ayano slipped the phone back into her pocket, continuing towards the infirmary as she took a moment to mop up the blood dripping down to her elbow with the already drenched napkin. You’d think with the amount spilling from her hand, she’d been stabbed straight through the hand. She knew removing the large splinter from her palm was a bad idea––but, of course, Mina absolutely had to pull it out. _I need to get her a first aid guide or something,_ Ayano lamented. _The girl’s completely hopeless._

It didn’t take long before Ayano arrived at the infirmary. 

The moment the injured girl walked in, she felt Nurse Kankoshi’s disapproving glare pierce her flesh. “Oh, it’s _you_ ,” she muttered, spinning her chair around completely to face the school girl. “ _Again_.” The nurse eyed Ayano’s hand with a sigh. “Sit down, Miss Aishi.” Nurse Kankoshi made quick work of the injured palm with very little conversation which was a relief to Ayano who really was not in the mood for that.

With a bored gaze, Ayano found herself observing her surroundings. Despite being here so often in the past few weeks, she realized she’d never actually looked at the infirmary because, upon  further inspection, Ayano couldn’t help but notice she was very suddenly and acutely aware of all the dangerous things the room held. _Syringes, scissors, a scalpel…_ she noted before glancing upon the locked cabinet just behind Nurse Kankoshi. _Potentially lethal substances._

Her mind was ablaze with all the possibilities in the room––in fact, she was so lost in thought that she didn’t even realize the nurse had been speaking to her. “Miss Aishi, have you heard a single word I’ve said?”

“Huh?” Ayano snapped back to reality, looking at Nurse Kankoshi who was giving her a stern look with that signature cocked eyebrow. “Oh, sorry, Miss Kankoshi!” Ayano apologized, putting on her sweetest smile. “I was just daydreaming a bit.”

The nurse slipped her gloves off. “Mhm,” she responded disapprovingly. “Maybe you’d be able to avoid stabbing yourself with a broken pencil if you got your head out of the clouds and focused on your schoolwork rather than _daydreaming_ about Mister Masuta.”

Once again, Ayano found herself sputtering with red hot cheeks. “We’re not––!!” The school girl shut her mouth and rolled her eyes, knowing that saying it once again would not convince the nurse otherwise. She was too exhausted and overwhelmed with the day’s events to defend herself.

While averting her eyes from the nurse’s smug grin, Ayano spotted something interesting in the locked cabinet. _Emetic,_ she noted, her eyes lighting up with an idea. _That might be of some use to me._ Ayano wasn’t quite sure what she would do with it just yet but felt it was a good tool to have in her arsenal.

“Alright, you’re good to go.” The nurse slid away from her patient, leaving Ayano room to get onto her feet. As the nurse spun around, the school girl noticed how Nurse Kankoshi carried a ring of keys on her waistband. If she could somehow get her hands on those keys, she just might be able to…

Wait, why exactly did she need the emetic again?

Ayano found herself questioning the idea. It occurred to her how ridiculous it would be to go through so much trouble to steal a vomit-inducing substance when she really had no good reason to do so. She’d be carrying around the vial just to carry it. _Not worth it,_ she decided before finally shuffling over to the door. “Thank you again, Miss Kankoshi.” The school girl bowed to the grumbling nurse before turning on heel and heading back towards her classroom.

There was so much work to be done and so little time to waste.


End file.
